Rat didn’t answer my question. He just glared at me, before giving Guildmaster Sinclair a pleading look.
“Guildmaster!” he said. “Look at what he did! This bastard broke my arm!”
Leroy appeared at my side after weaving his way through the crowd. He took one look at the needle, and his face hardened. He put his hand on his sword, and this time I didn’t wave him off. If he wanted to kill Rat, I wasn’t going to stop him. While it might sour relations with the Adventurers Guild, well, I didn’t take kindly to some asshole trying to poison me.
For now, Leroy stayed his blade. However, if anyone else tried making a move on me, I doubted he would remain idle. I did take back my weapons from him.
“In my defense,” I said to Guildmaster Sinclair, speaking in a lazy voice. “I’m fairly certain this ass just tried to poison me.”
I held up the needle for emphasis. Guildmaster Sinclair glanced at the needle, and her expression darkened even further.
“He’s lying!” Rat said. “I never tried to poison anyone. He’s trying to frame me!”
“Martin’s right,” a new voice said. “It’s clear that this Mr. Gabriel has some kind of grudge against Gyles, and now he’s taking it out on his friends.”
The voice belonged to Fatty, who knelt next to Loudmouth. Fatty gave me an ugly look that told me that whatever happened next, the enmity between us wasn’t over. Loudmouth was too busy lying down on the ground to join him.
Oh good. That’s what I needed. A grudge. Nothing invigorated the spirit quite like making enemies.
After Fatty spoke, the crowd of adventurers started murmuring to each other, though it was clear that few believed his words.
“Why would I have a grudge against Loudmouth over there?” I asked with a scoff. “If you’re going to come up with a lie, at least come up with a believable one.”
Fatty opened his mouth to respond, but Guildmaster Sinclair cut him off.
“Be quiet, Jeffry,” she said. “I may only have one eye, but I’m not blind. I saw the needle fall from Martin’s hand.”
At this, Rat started to shake. It looked like he was about to book it.
“Move,” I said in a cold voice. “And I’ll have Leroy take your head.”
Leroy let out killing intent following my words. Rat’s face paled, and he looked ready to vomit.
“That’s enough out of you too, Mister Gabriel,” Guildmaster Sinclair said. She walked over to me and held out her hand. “Give me the needle. I’ll make sure Martin is punished for this.”
I narrowed my eyes at her.
“Why should I do that?” I asked in a low voice. “The law is clear. His life was forfeit the moment he attacked me. Why shouldn’t I just kill him here and now?”
Guildmaster Sinclair’s jaw clenched. My words all but confirmed whatever suspicions she had about my identity. Someone of lesser status attacking a House scion was a big no no in Solarian society.
The Solarian Empire had a robust legal system. If I wanted, I could have Rat arrested for attempted murder, or assault if the poison on the needle wasn’t lethal. He would then be tried and punished for his crimes.
However, the Houses also had the right to exact their own brand of justice against those who wrong them. Against those of lesser status, House wizards or their retainers could just harm or even kill the offending party. No trial needed.
When it came to other Houses, things became a little more complicated. The two parties involved could either have the Church of the Sun arbitrate their dispute, they could settle things with a duel, or in extreme cases, the two Houses could go to war.
As long as they didn’t drag others into it, the Houses were legally allowed to wage war against each other as long as they had a reason to justify it.
I could have Leroy kill Rat, and there would be nothing anyone here could do about it. Legally at least.
“Martin is still a member of the Adventurers Guild,” Guildmaster Sinclair said. “I am responsible for him and his actions. Let me handle his punishment. I would consider it a favor, Mister Gabriel.”
Ah, so that’s why she wanted to do it. Face. By keeping things in-house, so to speak, Guildmaster Sinclair could save face and keep some control over the situation. If I killed Rat, or involved the authorities, I would be undermining her authority.
Hmm, while I wanted Rat dead, I also liked the idea of Guildmaster Sinclair owing me a favor. Maybe I could use that favor to determine how she figured out who I was. It wasn’t like I announced my presence when I first arrived in the Icefall Region. Few people should have known I was here. Had the servants at Sturm Hill Hall talked?
“Very well,” I said, handing her the needle.
While her expression remained the same, Guildmaster Sinclair’s eye expressed her gratitude.
“If you’ll wait in my office, Mister Gabriel,” she said. “I’ll be right up to help you with your registration as soon as I’m done here.” She turned to Lorelei, who stared at us. “What are you still doing here? Go get your father.”
Lorelei glanced between me and her mother before nodding.
“Yes, Mother.”
She dashed off. After she left, Guildmaster Sinclair gave me directions to her office. I left the training yard and headed upstairs, where her office was located. Leroy fell in behind me.
Guildmaster Sinclair’s office was more decorated than the rest of the Adventurers Guild. Then again, it was her personal space, so it made sense.
For furniture, there was a large wooden desk, some chairs for guests, and a few bookcases.
I sat in one of the chairs facing the desk. Leroy didn’t bother. He claimed a spot next to me and leaned against the wall.
An axe engraved with what looked like Celtic knots hung on the wall behind the desk. Books, scrolls, and crystals filled the bookshelves, as well as bits of fur, strange looking skulls, and other arcane objects. Several of the objects on the bookshelves emitted various kinds of mana.
A map depicting the Icefall Region, centered on Icefall City, hung on the wall to my right. It also showed the Icefall Mountains, Gloom Mist Forest, and the rocky hills that littered the region. A large window in the wall to my left looked out towards the city square. I saw Lorelei’s form leave the Church of the Sun, followed by a man wearing priestly garments.
Guildmaster Sinclair’s husband was a priest of the Sun? Assuming she was married to Lorelei’s father of course. While children out of wedlock were less common here on Lumina than back on Earth, it still happened. There was just a big social stigma against it, especially among wizards.
When it came to magic, pedigree mattered. Children often, but not always, inherited their aptitude and elemental affinities from their parents. Also, some spells, and even entire mana formulas, could only be used by those belonging to the right bloodline. House Sturm’s Storm Dragon Mana Formula was one. Only members of our family could practice it.
While we waited for Guildmaster Sinclair to arrive, Leroy and I spent the first few minutes in silence. Like before, on our way down here, my bodyguard and watchdog just about vibrated with tension. Now that I knew what signs to look for, I guessed my actions were the source of his tension. He likely had more…concerns.
If I wanted to turn him to my side, I needed to alleviate some of those concerns.
“You have questions,” I stated, looking at Leroy.
“It isn’t a servant’s place to question those he serves, young master,” he replied.
I snorted.
“That didn’t stop you from doing so earlier, when you thought I was possessed,” I said in an amused tone. “Speak freely. Ask your questions. You’ll likely need them for your report to my parents.”
Leroy didn’t react to that last sentence. In fact, I thought he wasn’t going to say anything at all at first. However, after a few seconds, he spoke.
“Why are you here, young master?” he asked. “Why are you commissioning a magic sword for yourself? And why are you joining the Adventurers Guild? It’s not a place for someone of your status. I thought it was some sort of lark at first, but I’m beginning to realize that you’re serious.” He paused, his expression growing puzzled. “And then there was the way you fought earlier. I have never seen anyone move like that, not without using magic. Just…how?”
I felt bad for poor Leroy. When my father first ordered him to watch over me, he probably thought that this assignment would be a boring one. My actions today had probably shattered that particular misconception.
“I’ll start with the least important one,” I said. “I’m joining the Adventurers Guild because I want to do right by my House and make up for my mistakes. To accomplish that, I’ll need the resources and facilities provided by the Adventurers Guild. While I could rely on my House for this, I won’t ask that of them, especially after my last mistake.” My voice grew soft. “My family provided me with a lot to support my growth, and I pissed it all away because of my pride and ego. I need to be able to stand on my own two feet, relying on myself rather than on my House. The sword is a tool that will help me with that.”
That didn’t mean I wouldn’t rely on my House at all. If nothing else, my quarterly allowance would provide me with a steady source of income. If I could supplement that income by doing gigs for the Adventurers Guild, all the better.
As for the resources needed to support and fuel a wizard’s growth, my House was better off giving those to Kaylee and Roland. They needed it more than I did. After all, I had the knowledge and experience of an Immortal. Even if I cultivated using my own abilities, without relying on external aids, I knew I would be able to achieve immortality once again. It wouldn’t be easy, but I could do it.
Leroy stared at me for several long seconds after I finished speaking.
“But young master, you aren’t a wizard anymore,” he stated bluntly. “Your demonstration earlier proved that you’re more than capable enough for the Adventurers Guild, but with your Circles shattered, you won’t be able to use the enchantments within that magic sword.”
I smirked at him.
“I don’t intend to remain crippled for long,” I said.
His eyes widened, but before he could say anything, the door to Guildmaster Sinclair’s office opened and the woman herself walked in. She looked annoyed and frustrated.
“You barely arrived a week ago, and you’re already causing me trouble, Lord Gabriel,” she said as she walked behind her desk and sat down.
I raised an eyebrow at her, unsurprised that she knew who I was.
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“You make it sound like you were expecting me,” I asked.
“I was,” she said, glaring at me with her single eye. “I have some contacts down south, and I heard through the grapevine that one Lord Gabriel Sturm of House Sturm was heading my way after getting his ass kicked and his Circles shattered by an Otherworlder. My husband has some talent with divination. Since you were heading this way, I asked him to do a reading. He saw that you would be a great annoyance for me.”
The look she gave me let me know how she felt about that.
Huh. That would explain a few things. Not only was Guildmaster Sinclair well informed, but she also had access to a diviner.
Prophecies and divinations were a tricky business. Reading the currents of fate and time was an art, not a science. It was difficult to get reliable information about the future, or the past for that matter, and trying to change it was almost impossible. Even just learning about one’s fate was enough to set it in stone. Many people ended up fulfilling a dire prophecy in the process of trying to avert it.
I rarely bothered with fortune tellers and diviners. The future would arrive, one way or another. I would control what I could, and didn’t worry about what I couldn't.
“Interesting,” I said, putting my elbows on my knees and resting my chin on my hands. “That doesn’t explain how you knew who I was.” I flicked a lock of my hair. “As you can see, I don’t exactly look like a Sturm right now.”
Guildmaster Sinclair snorted.
“You might have dyed your hair, and your Circles might be shattered, but nothing gets past my nose.” She tapped her nose as she said this. “I can smell magic. While it's faint, you smell like the storm. Combined with my husband’s divination, and it wasn’t difficult to guess who you were. Plus, you have the cocky attitude all House brats tend to have.”
Now that was an interesting, and useful, gift. Many people accounted for sight, hearing, and spirit sense. Spirit sense was the mortal version of divine sense, which wizards could also use. However, few people took smell into consideration. Her ability to smell magic must have been very sensitive if she could smell my magic despite my shattered Circles.
“Whatever happened with Rat?” I asked. “What did you do with him?”
“Rat?” She looked confused for a moment, before she let out a huff of laughter. “Oh, Martin. Rat. That’s a good one.” She shook her head. “For now, I put him in the holding cells we have here at the Adventurers Guild. They’re for bounties that someone wants taken in alive, or adventurers who get a little too rowdy when they drink.”
I opened my mouth to ask when she would deal with Rat, and how, but the look she gave me told me it would be a bad idea. I had a feeling that she would decide once I left. A pity. I had hoped to witness something brutal. Rat did try to poison me after all.
“Now then,” Guildmaster Sinclair said, pulling out some papers from her desk and handing them to me. “Fill out these, and then I’ll have your guild ID made for you.”
The forms were fairly standard, at least to my Earthling sensibilities. Name, birth date, elemental affinities, etc. Okay, that last one was different. As I filled out the forms, Guildmaster Sinclair studied me the same way one might study a wild animal that may or may not go on a rampage. Leroy leaned against his wall, keeping an eye on everything and not saying a word.
“I’m curious, Lord Gabriel,” Guildmaster Sinclair said. “Why did you want to join the Adventurers Guild? You’re a member of House Sturm. While they’re on the decline, it’s still a rather powerful and prestigious House. Someone like you doesn’t need to join the Adventurers Guild.”
“Under normal circumstances, you would be right,” I said, still filling out the forms. “But my circumstances aren’t normal.” That was the understatement of a lifetime. “Through my own actions, I ended up ruining my family’s plans for at least this generation, and maybe the next. I intend to fix that and redeem myself.”
Guildmaster Sinclair let out a surprised noise at that.
“Well now,” she said. “That’s unexpected. When I heard you were heading this way, I fully expected you to either hole yourself up at Sturm Hill Hall, or try to throw your weight around as if nothing had changed for you.” She nodded. “Stepping up and trying to make amends for your mistakes, I can respect that. I don’t think you’ll get far, but I can respect the attempt.”
I looked up from the forms and arched an eyebrow at her.
“You don’t have a high opinion of the Houses and their scions, do you?” I asked.
Guildmaster Sinclair let out a snort and pointed to the scar running down her face.
“They haven’t given me much reason to think highly of them,” she said. “I lost an eye when some House bitch thought she could steal my husband from me.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said, and meant it.
She waved off my sympathy.
“Eh, I came out ahead in the end. I’m still alive. She isn’t.”
She left it hanging on whether or not she killed the woman. I figured that was intentional on her part.
We spent the next few minutes in silence as I filled out the forms and handed them back to her. Guildmaster Sinclair looked them over, before adding her signature to the relevant forms. She then named the sign-up fee, which I paid.
“Congratulations, Lord Gabriel,” she said in a dry voice. “You are now an official member of the Adventurers Guild. Since you beat Gyles in a duel, you’ll be starting out as a Fourth-Rank Copper adventurer, which is higher than what most new adventurers start as.”
I gave her a blank look at that.
“Didn’t you do your research before you came here?” she asked with a scowl.
“Yes, but nothing I read mentioned anything about ranks,” I said, returning the scowl.
Though, to be fair, I only researched the parts that I cared about. I hadn’t had time to delve into everything, and I had to skim over some things. The internal workings of the Adventurers Guild was one of those things.
Guildmaster Sinclair rolled her eyes.
“Follow me,” she said, standing up. “We need to get your ID from the Requisitions Office, as well as your starting kit. I’ll explain things on the way there.”
The three of us headed out of Guildmaster Sinclair’s office and headed downstairs. A number of adventurers watched us go, a mix of amusement and curiosity in their eyes. A few, however, looked angry and resentful. I saw Loudmouth and Fatty, who looked like they wanted to kill me. I just grinned at them, which just incensed them further. However, there wasn’t anything they could do to me.
“Adventurers are divided into five broad ranks, which determines the kind of jobs they can get and how much they get paid for those jobs,” Guildmaster Sinclair explained. “The higher the rank, the more they get paid. From lowest to highest, the ranks are: Copper, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Within those ranks are five sub-ranks that are numbered from five to one.”
She glanced back at me.
“You beat Gyles, who is a Fourth-Rank Copper adventurer, so you get the same rank as him.”
As she explained the ranks, it occurred to me that I wasn’t in a world similar to a tabletop RPG. No, I was in a world similar to a Japanese fantasy anime. An isekai anime to be specific. Though, if this were an anime, would I be the protagonist, or a stepping stone for the real protagonist? The Otherworlder did kick my ass, and her rate of advancement was pretty ridiculous.
Longing filled me as I thought about the Otherworlder. The part of me that was Lord Gabriel wanted revenge. The part of me that was Brandon wanted to see her again, and explain everything. Immortal Celestial Thunder sipped tea and didn’t get involved.
I shook my head. There was no point in speculating. The Otherworlder had her own path to walk, and I had mine. If I was lucky, we would never see each other again. It was better that way. The last thing she needed was old ghosts like me haunting her.
“How do adventurers go up in rank?” I asked.
We reached a door with a bronze plaque next to it. The plaque said “Requisitions”.
“By doing jobs and becoming more powerful,” Guildmaster Sinclair said. “The more jobs you do and the more powerful you become, the higher your rank. Both are important. While you can raise your rank by doing one or the other, there is a limit.”
As she said this, she eyed me up and down. No doubt she thought that this was the limit of my power. If only she knew.
Guildmaster Sinclair opened the door to the Requisitions Office. It was a square room divided by a wooden counter. Hanging from one of the walls was a wooden board depicting various items with numbers next to them. A list of items and their prices?
On one side of the counter were a bunch of adventurers waiting in line, and on the other was a man who looked to be in his late twenties. The man in his twenties had the aura of a First Circle wizard with an affinity for Metal. Behind the counter was a door leading deeper in.
The three of us skipped the line. Guildmaster Sinclair went behind the counter, but gestured for me and Leroy to stay behind.
“This is Jesse Snyder, my requisitions officer,” she said, nodding to the man in his twenties. “Normally, he would be the one giving you your guild ID and starting kit. However, since this is a special occasion, I’ll be doing it myself. Stay here, and don’t cause any trouble.”
I gave Guildmaster Sinclair the most innocent expression I could pull off. This just made her scowl. She went through the door behind the counter.
I spent the next few minutes looking around the room, and observing the adventurers. They were an eclectic bunch, coming in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and colors. Their magic varied too, though none were above the First Circle.
As I studied them, they studied me in return. A few were curious, no doubt because I had come in with the guildmaster, but the rest were dismissive. Jesse Snyder, the requisitions officer, kept glancing at me from time to time with a curious gleam in his eye. He was a tall, thin man with short blonde hair, pale skin, and an impressive mustache.
Guildmaster Sinclair returned, to give me less time to get into trouble no doubt. She handed me a leather bag that emanated mana, or rather the items in the bag emanated mana, and a copper ID card. The ID card looked similar to a driver’s license back on Earth. It had my details in it, including the numeral for four indicating my sub-rank, though it had a blank space where my portrait would be.
“To attune your ID to yourself,” Guildmaster Sinclair said. “You either need to feed it a bit or your mana or a drop of your blood.”
Since I couldn’t use mana at the moment, I pulled out one of my daggers and pricked my finger. Leroy looked like he wanted to stop me, but didn’t. I dripped a bit of blood onto the ID. It absorbed my blood, leaving no traces behind. The moment I did, the ID emanated an aura similar to mine and a portrait of my face filled in the blank space. The portrait even had my real hair color, not my dyed hair color.
“Perfect,” Guildmaster Sinclair said. “The starting kit contains five low-grade mana stones, two low-grade healing potions, and two low-grade mana potions. And before you say anything, this is standard for anyone joining the Adventurers Guild. You aren’t getting special treatment. If you want anything more, you’ll have to either pay for it or earn it.”
Huh. I had to admit, this starting kit was more generous than I had expected. Mana stones were essentially spirit stones. Wizards used them to replenish their mana, permanently increase their mana capacity by helping them form threads, or they used them as a form of currency. People also used them to power magic items.
As their name suggested, health potions worked like medicine pills from Spirit Earth in that they could heal injuries. The higher grade the health potion, the more effective they were. Mana potions were like lesser versions of mana stones, in that they could only restore mana.
Wizards had a limited amount of mana, and while they relied on manipulating the ambient mana of the environment to cast all but the weakest spells, they still needed to expend some of their own personal mana to do so. Mana potions helped them replenish their personal mana reserve.
“All right then,” Guildmaster Sinclair said. “Do you have any more questions?”
I shook my head.
“No, Guildmaster,” I said. “Thank you for your help. I appreciate it.”
“Good. If you have any questions about how the guild works, just ask any of the relevant officers. They’ll be more than happy to answer your questions.” She snapped her fingers. “Oh, one last thing. To maintain your guild membership, at your rank, you need to do at least one gig a month. Otherwise, you’ll have to pay a fine.”
I nodded in understanding. That made sense. Everyone needed to pull their weight somehow, and gigs were how the Adventurers Guild made money.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, Lord Gabriel,” Guildmaster Sinclair said. “I have work to do.”
With that, she walked off without waiting for my response. The mood in the room changed the moment Guildmaster Sinclair called me “Lord” and revealed my status as a House scion. It grew colder, and the looks the adventurers gave me were much less friendly. No one said anything, probably because of Leroy’s presence, but I could tell that they wanted to. It seemed that adventurers in general didn’t like House wizards.
Ha! And Guildmaster Sinclair accused me of causing her trouble. I grinned. Despite her behavior, I liked the woman.
“Let’s go, Leroy,” I said. “It’s been a long day, and I want to make it home before nightfall.”
“As you wish, young master.”
Under the unfriendly gazes of the adventurers in the room, Leroy and I made our wait out of the Adventurers Guild. We were soon on our way back to Sturm Hill Hall.
In a mirror to our conversation earlier this morning, I was the one who spoke up when we were halfway home.
“Leroy,” I said. “I need you to keep what you saw today out of your reports to my parents, at least for now.”
I stopped and turned to face Leroy. He wore a neutral mask when he heard my request. Unfortunately, I couldn’t order him to keep what he saw today to himself. While I was the young master of House Sturm, Leroy ultimately answered to my father, the Patriarch.
“And why should I do that, young master?” he asked.
“Because you either have a communication crystal, which means my parents will order me to come home the moment you report back to them,” I said. “Or you don’t, in which case I’ll have two months at most to accomplish what I came here to do. Either way, I won’t have enough time to fulfill my plans.”
Leroy didn’t respond to that. He just watched me with piercing eyes.
“I’m not asking you to keep it from them forever. A month. Just wait for a month, that’s all I ask. If it makes you feel better, I’ll remain at Sturm Hill Hall during that month and stay out of trouble.”
At this, Leroy looked thoughtful.
“Very well, young master,” he said. “I’ll keep your secrets for now. On one condition.” His expression hardened. “You will tell me what is happening with you. I don’t believe you’re possessed anymore, but there is something strange going on. The way you moved earlier, without the aid of magic…” He paused and shook his head. “It should be impossible, yet I saw it happen with my own eyes. I apologize for my impertinence, but I am concerned for you and for House Sturm as a whole.”
Fair enough. I had planned on telling him the truth anyway.
“I accept,” I said. “However, I’ll tell you at the end of the month. It’ll be more believable then.”
After a long moment, Leroy nodded.
“Very well, young master. I’ll hold you to that.”
I grinned at him, before turning around and continuing on home.